DUBAI // A driver who tried to kill the 71-year-old employer who fired him lost an appeal against a five-year prison sentence.
Syrian M D, 30, tried to throttle his former boss with wire.
Dubai Criminal Court was told that on August 10 last year, at about 9pm, the driver waited until his victim left his office and headed to his car in the building’s car park before launching an attack.
In court last May, the Syrian denied the charge of attempted murder and claimed that he had merely been acting in self-defence after his former employer had assaulted him.
The issue escalated after the driver had asked several times to be reinstated following the termination of his employment contract.
Jordanian A K rejected his requests.
“I fired M D because he was not committed to his job,” said A K.
“Then he started coming to my office every once in a while requesting financial assistance and to get his old job back.
“I was getting into my car when M D came with his hands behind his back, then he demanded I reinstate him immediately – which I refused.”
The Syrian then wrapped wire around the man’s neck and tried to choke him. A K resisted, gouging his attacker’s eyes and punching his face until he managed to break free.
“When he failed to strangle him, M D pulled out a sharp, metal object from his pocket and attacked the victim, repeating that he wanted to kill A K even if he was sentenced to death for it,” said police officer A M, 37, adding that the boss offered the defendant Dh2,000 to stop the assault but the Syrian refused.
The attacker then stole the victim’s two wallets and a mobile phone before fleeing in the victim’s Mercedes, which he parked nearby before taking his own car home.
The Syrian changed his clothes and put them in a bag alongside the metal object and the electrical wire used in the attack and threw them in to a sewage hole.
A medical report said that the victim suffered severe injuries to the face, which left him with an eight per cent permanent disability.
The Syrian will be deported after his jail term.
salamir@thenational.ae